


A Fair Night

by CaesiumDressing



Series: Huxloween 2017: Huxloween Rides Again [25]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Circus, M/M, Meet-Cute, Pre-Canon, Pre-Slash, spicy soup
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-26
Updated: 2017-10-26
Packaged: 2019-01-23 08:35:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12503320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaesiumDressing/pseuds/CaesiumDressing
Summary: Ben Solo is killing time while waiting for Luke Skywalker to return from seeking an artifact.





	A Fair Night

Ben Solo wandered around the brightly lit midway, watching all manner of alien go by. Here and there children clung to their parents’ legs watching jugglers weave in and out of the crowd while couples kissed in the shadows cast by the tents and stands littered across the fairgrounds. When he was a kid he would have loved the lights and performers, when he was thirteen he would have been chasing all of the cute beings going by, but now he was a Jedi padawan, just over eighteen and waiting for his uncle and master to return from whatever vision quest he’d dragged them to this planet for.

Ben sighed and slipped into an overcrowded food stall selling some sort of mystery noodle soup. He glanced around the place and he first thing that caught his eye was that there was some sort of special “super spicy” noodle soup special for the carnival season; if one could finish it the meal was free. The second thing was that there was only one open seat. And the third was that that one open seat was at a table with the most gorgeous redheaded human male he’d ever seen. Ben raked his fingers through his hair summoning up all of the swagger he could muster and approached the table.

“Is anyone sitting here?” he asked the man. The man looked up from the datapad he had been swiping at. The man looked up and a sour look came over his face as he noticed the robe.

“Why don’t you tell me?” he sneered, looking back at the datapad. Ben smiled and let out a chuckle that he would consider dashing.

“I believe I am,” he responded, sliding out the chair and sitting. The man rolled his eyes without looking up. A member of the staff swept by the table and dropped a menu in front of Ben.

“You from here?” Ben asked, pretending that he was looking at the menu. The man just sighed and continued looking at his datapad, paying Ben no mind. A moment later the waiter swept by again, asking for his order. Ben asked for the special and the man swept away with a nod. The man was looking at Ben now.

“You’re going to regret that,” he said, putting his datapad down and propping his head on one hand.

“Oh?” Ben replied, looking at the man who was now staring at him with intense blue eyes. “You are from here then?” At least he was speaking to him.

“No. But I have been on this godforsaken planet for six full cycles and have been entertaining myself with the reactions of fools coming in and trying to get a free meal.”

“You’ve never seen me,” Ben retorted, letting a smirk pass across his face. The redhead rolled his eyes again.

“I’ve seen plenty of boys like you come in here and try their luck. The last one ended up in the med center,” he said, a mean spark lighting his eyes. Ben snorted.

“Who are you calling a ‘boy’?” he asked, leaning on his elbow. “My name is Ben.” The redhead clicked his tongue.

“Well, now I know what to tell the medics to put on your paperwork.”

Just as Ben was about to fire back a large bowl of steaming soup was plopped down in front of him. The broth was a violent red color with all manner of spices wafting if the steam. Ben couldn’t pick any one out, but he could smell that it was hot. He’d been expecting your regular outer rim heat to cover the use of less -than-flavorful ingredients but not whatever the hell this was. His face must have shown his concern as the man across the table scoffed.

“You know, it’s only polite to give your name when meeting someone,” Ben sniped, schooling his face.

“You’ll just forget it when you pass out,” the man rejoined, a mean smile crossing his face. Ben chewed on his lip for a moment and then an idea struck him.

“If I can finish this soup without passing out will you give me your name?” Ben said, giving the man his most seductive smile.

When the man stopped laughing he nodded in agreement. Ben picked up a fork and the deep spoon he’d been provided and took his first bite.

For a moment the flavor was good, rich and meaty, salty in just the right way; then it hit him. Like a bomb exploding in the back of his throat he was overwhelmed with spiciness. He choked down the mouthful and began coughing. The sudden influx of air increased the heat. He felt the sweat break out on his forehead and tears forming in his eyes. Over the throbbing pain coursing through his sinuses he could hear the redhead laughing himself sick. Ben dipped his spoon and fork back in.

As the soup gradually disappeared a crowd began to gather. Ben felt his whole body becoming gradually number as his delirium from the heat grew. He could hear hushed voices whispering around him in alien languages, but his focus was narrowed down to two things, finishing the soup and the gradually more concerned look on the man’s face across from him.

As Ben lifted the bowl a final time to drink the last of the broth he felt the world tilt a little. Ben clutched the bowl as if it would keep him anchored and slammed it on the table. Looking at the horrified face of the redhead across from him. Ben could feel the snot running from his nose and barely even see the man through the tears clouding his vision. But he managed one question though his tongue felt as if it was swollen to several times its size.

“Your name,” Ben demanded. He must have looked unhinged. The man answered in a voice so small that if Ben’s senses weren’t so heightened he may have missed it.

“Hux.” One word, choked out in sheer incredulity.

Ben didn’t remember much of what happened after that. He was whisked away to have his name added to the champions list. Knowing that letting anyone know where he and Luke were was a terrible idea he’d given his name as Kylo Ren. The name was an alter ego created by his imaginary friend. Powerful and undefeatable Kylo Ren.

Ben woke up in the bushes just off the midway. Luke was standing over him looking as disappointed as always. He’d found what he was looking for and it was time to move. Ben just glowered and followed the man, not mentioning the soup or the man he had met. As the small shuttle took off Ben wrote the name on his heart and promised that he’d find him again just to gloat. He’d see Hux again if he had to go to the ends of the galaxy.


End file.
